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Cats need to eat a diet primarily composed of high quality canned food rather then dry formulations. Cats are obligate carnivores. They need a high protein diet and they do not have the proper metabolism to utilize carbohydrates properly.
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Protein derived from animals versus plants is more easily digested, more complete, and requires less supplementation.
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Cats evolved to get most of the moisture they need from their food so they are not big drinkers. Even though cats eating dry food drink more than cats on canned food, the overall water intake is believed to be higher for cats on canned food only diets. This increased water intake is especially important for cats with a history of urinary tract problems, older cats, cats with renal disease and many cats with chronic diseases.
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As descendants of the North African desert cat, the house cat retains adaptations for living in a dry climate – meaning they do not feel thirst until they are already physiologically dehydrated. They primarily use food as a water source. Male cats that eat kibble as their only food source may overly concentrate their urine (since they are already physiologically dehydrated), and this may cause crystals to form in the urine and cause cystitis (inflammation of the bladder wall), thus potentiating urethral blockage.
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Canned foods are also less energy dense, which is beneficial for overweight cats, and cats attempting to lose weight
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Many people are concerned that if they do not feed their cats a dry diet that their oral health will decline. However, there are no studies showing that cats have better teeth on dry food than canned food.
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For cats in healthy body condition that do not have any sign of urinary tract disease we typically recommend 1/4 cup of dry food and 6oz of canned food daily. Cats that are on an all canned diet should get between 9-12oz of canned food daily (3-4 Fancy Feast cans). Some cats may resist eating canned food, aka the “dry food addicts”. For some great tips on converting these cats to canned food eaters click here.
